Flying machine



Aug. 13, 1929. T. SORENSEN FLYING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1928 IIIIIIII!!!!IIII| x [[111 llli Patented Aug. 13,, 1929..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE SORENSEN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO J' AMES S. REID, OF CLEVE- LAND,

OHIO.

FLYYING- MACHINE.

Application filed May 24, 1928. Serial No. 280,237.

This invention relates to aeroplanes and particularly to elevating and driving means therefor.

The object of the present invention is to produce an aeroplane provided with a suitable motor for driving the various elements and particularly a fan arranged in a fan casing preferably disposed horizontally at the center of the fuselage and provided with outwardly and downwardly curved surfaces receiving blasts of air from the fan casings at great velocity as the result of being projected through orifices which retard the discharge from the fail casing and result in 1 building up the air pressure therein, the lifting effect thus produced being the result of the impinging of streams of air against the curved surfaces at great velocity and also the impact of the air discharge againstthe atmosphere.

A further object is to also provide the plane, preferably the fan casing, with rearwardly curved surfaces similar tothose for lifting but arranged to discharge to the rear either upon the top or bottom and thereby produce a forward impelling force for driving the plane forward after it has been elevated to the proper elevatio A still further object is to provide a suitable'discharge of the same type between vertically arranged blades at the tail for the purpose of taking care of the torque of the motor in driving the fan.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a suitable guard arranged about the discharge through the fins of the fan casing at the front for preventing a back pressure therein due to the movement of the plane through the air.

Other details of the invention will be brought out in the following description, drawings and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a plane constructed according an to my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is a section upon the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. f is a sectionupon the line 4.-4 of Fig. 1,; and Fig. 5 is a. detailed view of the rear end of the fuselage.

In the arrangement shown, the fuselage 1. is of the usual type with or without a motor driven propeller 2 at the front. It is also provided with the usual landing gear in the form of wheels 3 and the runner 4. Arranged preferably upon the fuselage is the fan casing 5 adapted to receive a fan comprising the hub portion 6 driven by any suitable motor arranged in the fuselage and blades 7. The fan casing is provided with a central opening 8 preferably upon the top and bottom for a supply of air. The pcriphery of the casing is preferably made heX- agonal and comprises a plurality of flat sides 9 each of which has suitable slots or passages 10 extending throughout the length of the side and adapted to project air under downwardly curved battles or plates 11. The openings 10 are of a size such that they retard the discharge from the fan and build up a pressure-within the casing to an extent.

The casing 9 is still further provided near its two side edges with upwardly extending openings 13 similar to the openings 10 and arranged to project streams of air at great velocity against the rearwardly curved fins 14. A. suitable slide 15 controls the discharge through these openings 13. There is prefer ably one of these groups of openings and blades 13 and 14 on each side of the casing to increase the driving capacity.

The fan casing 9 is further provided with a conduit 16 extending through the fuselage to the tail thereof where it discharges through openings 17 similar to the openings 10 and 13 arranged between vertically dis posed planes or fins 17', This discharge at this point is for the purpose of resisting the 1f5orque created by the motor in driving the If desirable, the fan casing may be guarded at its front by a suitable guard 18 extending up in front of the drivers seat 19 and extending around in side portions 20.

This guard prevents the rush of air at the front of the plane when moving forward from interfering with the air discharged at the front of the elevating casing.

In operation, the operator speeds up the fan and opens the discharge through the openings 10 when the plane will rise to the desired height, the torque of the plane, due to driving the fan being prevented by a discharge permittedthrough the fins 17 When the plane reaches the desired height, the operator checks the discharge of air throughthe openings 10 and ermits a discharge past the blades 14 there y causing the plane to move forward. Adjustment of the air supply to the openings 10 and 13 will cause the plane to travel at the proper heighth and at the proper forward speed.

The fins 17 which are for the purpose of being set to resist the torque of the fan, may

be made adjustable in any way so that they may he set to overcome the torque, but on the other hand, they may be under the conl trol of the operator, in which case the fuselage is provided atits tail end with a bracket 21 supporting pivotally a bell crank lever comprising an operating arm 22 connected by a rod 22 to any suitable control, not

shown, but handy to the operator and an operated arm 23 pivotally connectedto a link 24 similar in all respects to other links connecting the several fins 17 in a gang. In this way the operator may set these fins 17 for resisting the torque of the motor or for use in turning the plane around in the air, or, indeed, on the ground.

What I claim is:

1. An aeroplane comprising a fuselage, an

air casing carried by said fuselage and having a plurality of air discharge openings symmetrically about its entire periphery, said openings being of a size and number to restrict the air discharge from said casing to create a back pressure in the casing and increase the velocity effect of the air. discharged through said openings, and a plurality of curved fins symmetrically arranged around the entire casing adjacent said openings, and means for supplying air to said caslng.

2. As in claim 1 wherein the air casing is arranged horizontally and is provided with 'a plurality of downwardly curved fins about its entire periphery adjacent said openings.

3. As in claim 1 wherein the casing is provided with a plurality of fins curved rear- Wardly and arranged in a horizontal group adjacent some of said openings for produc ing forward movement of the plane.

4. As in claim 1 wherein the casing is arranged horizontally and is provided with a plurality of downwardly curved peripheral fins and with a gang of rearwardly curved fins arranged in a horizontal group, all of said fins being adjacent the air discharge openings in said casing.

5. As in claim 1 wherein the casing is provided with means for regulating the passage of air through said openings.

6. As in claim 1 wherein the air casing is arranged horizontally and is provided with a plurality of downwardly curved fins about its periphery adjacent said openings, and a guard carried by said fuselage and extending about said fins at the front to protect the same against the rush of air as the plane moves forward.

7. An aeroplane comprising a fuselage, an air casing carried by said fuselage and having a plurality of air discharge openings, said openings being of a sizeand number to restrict the air discharge from said casing to create a back pressure in the casing and increase the velocity effect of the air discharged through said openings, a plurality of vcurved fins carried by said casing adjacent said openings, a horizontally rotating fan element in said casing, a conduit extending from said casing to the tail of said fuselage and there provided with a plurality of vertically spaced discharge openings of restricted area, a plurality of vertically disposed fins adjacent said openings, and means for changing the angular position of said fins as a gang to counteract the torque of said horizontally rotating fan element in said casing.

8. An aeroplane comprising a fuselage, an air casing carried by said fuselage and having a plurality of air discharge openings, said openings being of a size and number to restrict the air discharge from said casing to create a back pressure in the casing and increase the velocity effect of the air discharged through said openings, a plurality of curved fins carried by said casing adjacent said openings, a rotating fan element in said casing, a conduit extending from said casing to the tail of said fuselage and there provided with a group of elongated restricted orifices, a plurality of parallel fins arranged In testimony whereof I hereby afiix my signature.

THEODORE SORENSEN. 

